Real, or Not Real?
by Dreamer's Avenue
Summary: What ever happened to Katniss and Peeta post-Mockingjay, pre-epilogue? This is my take on how I would imagine their relationship rebuilds itself. Sorry...not really good at summaries...read and find out what it's all about :D
1. Dream?

**~Katniss~**

_I am running through the woods, bow loaded. Staying on guard and aware of every little sound. suddenly, I hear a branch snap approximately twenty feet behind me. I whip around and let my arrow fly without a second thought, striking my opponent in the center of his chest. He falls to his knees, his head down, eyes on the ground. One step closer to going home, I think. Then he looks up, staring straight into my eyes with a look of confusion and disbelief. But then his gaze quickly turns to one of resolve and acceptance. Then my eyes widen with realization. Tears quickly form in my eyes just as he collapses to the ground. Still and motionless. And the boy with the bread is no more…_

_No…_

"No!" I scream, waking myself up. _It was only a dream,_ I think, _just a dream. Was it? Was it really?_

I jump out of bed, throwing the blankets to the floor. I run down the stairs and out the front door without even bothering to put on shoes. I run straight to Peeta's house. I have to make sure he's alright. I need to prove to myself that this was all just a dream. I don't even bother knocking—the door is usually unlocked anyway for reasons I do not know—I just go on in. I run into the living room.

"Peeta." I call for him. No answer. "Peeta?" I call again. Still no answer. "Peeta!" I yell. This time I panic and head for the stairs. I run up them and trip over one of the steps and I fall to my knees. Ouch! But I get over it in a few seconds. I continue to stumble up the stairs until I reach art studio. He's not there. _Where could he be?_ I go into other rooms upstairs and don't find him anywhere. I find his bedroom, I open the door and peer Inside. I still don't see him. I start to close the door when I hear a small noise from inside the room. I open the door and enter.

I walk around to the other side of the bed and see Peeta lying on the floor.

**A/N: Yeah...sorry this first chapter is a little short. I promise the next one will be longer. Please review and tell me what you think about this first chapter. I'd love to hear from you guys. And let me know if this story is just terrible, even though it's barely started. Comments? Critiques? I'll try to upload another chapter soon, today hopefully. Bye~**


	2. Not Real

~Katniss~

Peeta appears to be sleeping. But my mind doesn't exactly consider rational thinking at this point. Not after the crazy dream I just awoke from five minutes ago. I run to his side and kneel on the floor next to him. I shake him. "Peeta."

"Huh?" he groans as he opens his eyes. "Katniss? what are you doing here?" he asks suspiciously as he sits up on the floor. "What am I doing on the floor?" I guess he really was sleeping. Stupid me.

" I was going to ask you the same question. I was calling for you…why didn't you answer me? You scared me half to death." I can feel the warm salty tears rolling down my cheeks. I bite my lip trying to hold them back, but it's useless.

"I'm sorry Katniss…I must have fallen off the bed last night…I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm fine really." he put his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "Please don't cry, It's okay…" he pulls away from me and wipes a tear off my cheek. "Tell me, what's going on? What's wrong?" He looks me in the eyes which only makes my cry more.

"It's nothing." I say looking away from him. He gently turns my head towards him making me look at him.

"Katniss, I know it's not nothing. It's never nothing." He's got a point. There's always something wrong with me. "Tell me." he pleads softly.

" I…I had another nightmare last night. It…it was terrible. And I just had to make sure it wasn't real, that I had just imagined the entire thing." I put my head on his shoulder and sob.

"Shhh…it's okay. It wasn't real. I'm okay. Okay? Don't cry. Look at me." I lift my head up and look at him. "I'm here for you. I always have been and I always will." I nod.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"Always." he replies. I stop crying and he helps me up. And only now do I notice that his blankets ended up on the floor last night, as well as him.

"You have a bad dream last night too?" I ask curiously.

"Uh…I guess I might have." He pauses. "But I don't remember anyway. Guess it's a good thing."

"Yeah… lucky you." I roll my eyes playfully.

"Anyway, are you hungry?" he asks, changing the subject.

"Starving." I say with a smile and we both go downstairs to the kitchen.

We cook bacon and eggs and I fail at an attempt to make pancakes, so Peeta helps me make waffles. Now that I think of it, cooking never was my strongest subject. Actually…I'm terrible at it. If it wasn't for Peeta and Greasy Sae coming over every once in a while to cook for me I probably wouldn't eat much.

And after about an hour of cooking, we are finished with breakfast, and it's about time. We set the table and sit down to eat. "This is nice" he says with a grin.

"Yeah, It is isn't it?" I reply.

"We should do this more often don't you think?"

"Most definitely." We finish our breakfast without talking much. But…it's not an awkward kind of silence. Just keeping each other's company is enough for me. And then I notice something. Something I hadn't noticed before. Why do I enjoy his company so much? There could be only one explanation…no…can't be. Can it?

**A/N: Hey guys just finished another chapter. Let me know what you think. This one is slightly longer. And the next one should be even longer.**

**POLL: Who is your favorite Hunger Games character and why?**


	3. Protector

~Peeta~

After Katniss and I clean up the kitchen, I notice something different about her. But I can't quite put my finger on it. It's not like her to act this strange. She seems somewhat timid. But why? She's never been this way with me before. I shake it off, thinking it's nothing and say goodbye. I'm determined to finish this painting I've been working on…Katniss's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to give it to her as a gift.

I go upstairs to my art studio and just as I dip my paint brush into the paint on my palette a flashback starts and the paintbrush falls to the ground, splattering the paint all over the floor…

_Death…that's all I see. Bombs falling on District 12. Over houses, over the Justice Building. Then the bakery. My family…gone. KATNISS! KATNISS IS THE ONE THAT DID THIS TO YOUR FAMILY. THAT MUTT KILLED YOUR FAMILY AND ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!_

_No…no it wasn't Katniss, it was the Capitol that killed your family, not Katniss._

_KATNISS! IT'S ALL KATNISS'S FAULT THEY'RE ALL DEAD. SHE BROUGHT UPON THIS._

_No, it's not true._ I argue with myself. I fall to the ground, covering my ears as an attempt to silence the arguing voices in my head. But it doesn't do any good. I curl up on the ground until it's over.

These flashbacks are becoming less frequent, but when they do come they are stronger than they used to be. _I need to stay away from Katniss…I need to protect her from me._ I decide this immediately. What if I'm with her and I lose control of my mind? I couldn't live with myself if I did anything more to hurt her than I already have. I hope she can forgive me for doing this, but it's the only way to keep her safe until I can fully control myself.

_Katniss…I'm sorry. Please understand._

**A/N: Uggghhh sorry...another short chapter. Sorry, just seem like a good place to end it. Please review and tell me what you think.**

**POLL: Ummmm... I don't know. Oh, I got it. What should my next poll be for the next chapter?**


	4. Doors

~Katniss~

I go upstairs and lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, memorizing the intricate designs of the wallpaper. I grow bored after a while and get up. I wander through the house. Entering rooms I've never been in before. And only now do I realize just how enormous this house is.

I go downstairs and rummage through the bookshelf in the living room. The shelves are full of books about the different districts and the history of Panem. I pick out one about the rebellion that led to the "destruction" of District 13. I flip through the pages, only looking at the pictures. Memories surface from the bombings I've seen. And I drop the book to the floor, pushing the gruesome memories from my mind.

I look at the clock and see that it's almost time for dinner. Just then, the phone rings. I answer the phone and sit down at the dining room table. It's Greasy Sae. "Hey, Katniss." she says.

"Hey, Greasy Sae. Are you coming over for dinner?" I reply.

"No, Katniss, I'm sorry. I can't make it. Cathy called in sick today so I have to cover her shift at the store. I won't get off work until later tonight. But There are plenty of leftovers in the fridge. Just warm them up in the microwave. Gosh, I'm sorry…I know I should have called earlier…" I cut her off.

"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. I totally understand." I say this, but I'm actually kind of disappointed. I was really looking forward to having dinner with her tonight. Especially because I wanted to talk to her about Peeta…and today. I need advice! "I'll see if Peeta wants to eat dinner with me."

"Ah, alright girlie. That's a good idea. Hey, I've got to get back to work, but have fun. Talk to you soon." she says with a laugh.

"Thanks." I can't help but smile, Greasy Sae is the closest thing I have to a girl friend now. Everyone else is either dead or in some other district. "Bye."

"Bye hun." And I hang up the phone and place it back on the receiver. _Should I invite Peeta for dinner?_ I think to myself. Well, what harm could it do. Plus, I really don't feel like spending the rest of the day by myself. I'm barely holding on to sanity as it is. A little human interaction would be nice for a change.

I get up from the dining room table and push my chair in. I slip on a pair of slippers I left near the front door and go outside. I walk over to Peeta's house and I knock. No answer. _Not again, _I think. _Haven't we already been through this today?_ I knock again. Still no answer. _Come on!_ I turn the doorknob, trying to open the front door. But it's locked. Locked? His door is almost never locked. But why now? What's going on?

A feeling of worry overcomes me. _Did I do something wrong? Did something happen to him?_ Questions swamp my mind until I can't block them out anymore. I pound on the door. "Peeta! It's Katniss. What's wrong? Please open the door." But no one comes to the door. I slump to the ground, half sitting, half laying up against his front door. I knock and knock until I just can't knock anymore. The sun has begun to set and the sky has turned a fiery orange. Peeta's favorite color. My eyes become heavy and I fight back the drowsiness for several minutes before dosing off.

**A/N: Gosh, no matter how hard I try I just can't make these chapters longer. :/ I don't know, just seemed like a perfect place to end it. Anyways...please review! Questions? Comments? Critiques? Let me know :D**


	5. Nightmares

~Peeta~

I am awakened to a loud sound. I jump. I get out of bed throwing the blankets off of me. I slowly make my way to my bedroom door, rubbing my eyes. I open the door and walk down the upstairs hallway and walk down the stairs.

The knocking continues. I'm about halfway down the staircase when I hear a voice. Katniss's voice, calling for me. "Peeta! It's Katniss." I freeze. I can't let her inside. I just can't see her right now. She's persistent with her knocking.

I almost want to answer the door just to make it stop. I plop down on the steps and put my hands in my lap. I stare down at them. I almost consider going back up the stairs, but it wouldn't do much good. I could still hear her from upstairs. I'll just wait until she gives up and goes home.

But he doesn't give up. I see that she is sitting outside the door because I can see her shadow under the door. She knocks for about an hour and then her knocking becomes more weak and labored. Then it stops all together. She must have fallen asleep.

I almost consider going back upstairs. But…I can't just leave her out there. _No. _ I tell myself. _You promised you'd stay away from her until you can control your flashbacks._

I argue with myself for several minutes before deciding to get up and take her home. Just as I stand up a sharp pain goes through my head and another fabricated memory surfaces and I fall back onto the stairs.

_Running. Running. Running through an underground tunnel. Finnick close behind me with a few others. Katniss just a few yards ahead of me. _

_Then I hear a blood curdling shriek. I turn around expecting to see a fallen soldier, but find that there are Muttations following close behind us. I sprint ahead of the others and I watch them struggling to keep up. The Muttations are gaining on us. _

_Then I see a light at the end of the tunnel. And then I see an old rusty steel ladder leading up out of the ground. I climb the ladder and peer down into the dark tunnel looking out for the others. Finnick is the next person climbing the ladder._

_Then Katniss pulls him down from the ladder and pushes him to the Muttations who have caught up with them. She climbs up the ladder with a cold laugh. _

"_Finnick!" I yell. And I watch as he is ripped apart by the sinister creatures. "No…" I whisper. And turn around; hatred fills my eyes as I turn to Katniss who is still laughing. How could she have done this?_

_She Killed Finnick. _

_FINNICK IS DEAD BECAUSE OF KATNISS!_

No. No. It's not real. It's all a lie. Finnick gave up his life to save us. So that we could live and finish our mission.

_KATNISS IS A MURDERER! SHE MURDERED YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY. EVERYTHING THAT YOU EVER LOVED!_

No. That isn't true. It's not real. It's not real. I…I love Katniss. I always have and I always will. I keep telling myself this over and over until the pain goes away and my mind relaxes.

Finally it's over. For now anyway.

I stand up. A little too fast because I feel lightheaded and have to steady myself by grabbing hold of the railing of the stairs. I slowly go down the stairs.

I wonder how long this flashback lasted. I wish I had gotten a glimpse of the time beforehand. This one seemed to last forever.

I make my way to the front door and open it slowly in an attempt to see if Katniss is still there. I expect to find that she's gone home. But as I open the door further I see she's fallen asleep against the door. The door had been propping her up and she began to fall. I catch her quickly.

She's still asleep. She must be extremely exhausted. I gently lift her up and carry her to her house. It doesn't seem like I will be having another flashback for a while, so she should be safe for the time being. I open the front door and take her upstairs.

I lay her down on the edge of the bed and pull down the covers. I lift her again and tuck her under the blankets. I lean down and gently kiss her forehead. Luck for me she's asleep and chances are she won't even know I've done this. She stirs slightly and I freeze, thinking she'll awaken. But she remains asleep and I quietly leave the room.

Hopefully she won't suffer any nightmares tonight.

I walk back to my house and climb back in bed. Maybe I'll get more sleep this time. I close my eyes and drift into a deep sleep.

I'm awakened by the sound of screaming. I sit up, startled. I listen closely to identify the source of the scream. Then I hear it again.

Certainly Haymitch's voice is not nearly that high, and he's usually drunk and passed out for most of his days. Then I realize that it can only be one person, Katniss.

I want to run to her.

To awaken her and tell her that everything is going to be alright and it was all just a dream. But…I can't. I just can't. It hurts so badly to listen to her scream in agony, in terror. But there's nothing I can do. I have to stay away from her if she is to be safe. I can snap at any moment. And I can't have that.

For the rest of the night I cover my ears with my pillow trying to drown out her crys of horror.

**A/N: Yes! Finally. A longer chapter. This is my last update for tonight. Hope you enjoy.**

**POLL: What is your favorite quote from The Hunger Games?**


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